Texas governor says 'no mob rule' in Legislature on abortion

By Miguel Marquez and Ed Payne, CNN

Updated 1:03 PM ET, Tue July 2, 2013

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Texas has long been a hotbed of abortion protests, but the issue drew national attention in 2013 when new abortion restrictions were debated and then passed in the legislature. Above, opponents of the measure walk around supporters at the Capitol.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

It took not one but two special leglative sessions for the measure to pass; the first attempt was blocked following a lengthy filibuster by sneaker-wearing Sen. Wendy Davis in a near empty Senate chamber.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

In preparation for hours of speaking, Davis wore a pair of pink sneakers in place of her dress shoes. Her shoes became a symbol for abortion-rights activists.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Opponents of the bill sat in the gallery holding hangers. Among the changes Davis and others opposed: requiring abortion clinics to become ambulatory surgical center and requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Davis said she was speaking for families whose "personal relationships with their doctor and their Creator" would be violated by the bill.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Abortion-rights advocates celebrate the defeat of the measure on June 25, 2013, the last day of that summer's first special legislative session. Davis' filibuster, combined with protests by supporters, helped defeat the legislation at midnight.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

As the second session was convened on July 1, 2013, Davis led a rally in support of women's rights to reproductive decisions.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Abortion-rights demonstrators gather at the state Capitol on July 1, 2013.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Supporters on both sides of the issue crowd into the rotunda of the state Capitol on July 1, 2013.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Anti-abortion demonstrators taped the word "life" over their mouths as they stood in the rotunda of the state Capitol in July 2013.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Opponents of an abortion bill yell outside the Capitol in July 2013.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Opponents of an abortion bill chant outside a hearing at the Capitol in July 2013.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Abortion-rights activists march from the Capitol in July 2013.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Supporters of an abortion bill listen to speakers at a July 2013 rally organized by the Texas Right to Life Organization.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Anti-abortion activist Pamela Whitehead, right, argues with an abortion-rights activist in July 2013.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Supporters of the measure react in the gallery of the Texas House after it was provisionally approved during the second special session on July 9, 2013.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Opponents of the bill yell outside the Texas House after the bill was provisionally approved.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

On October 28, 2013, the day before the legislation was scheduled to take effect, a federal judge ruled that parts of it were unconstitutional. Above, state troopers look on as a group in Austin, Texas, protests the law.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Three days later, on October 31, 2013, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the federal district judge's decision. Here, a woman holds her rosary beads as she prays on the sidewalk across the street from Planned Parenthood in Fort Worth, Texas.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

As the Texas case wound its way through the courts, a group from Texas joined an anti-abortion demonstration on the Mall in Washington on January 22, 2014 -- the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Meanwhile, Wendy Davis' 2013 filibuster propelled her to the Democratic Party's nomination for Texas governor. Here, she listens as Houston City Council member Ellen Cohen speaks about the law in October 2014, just weeks before Davis was defeated by Republican Greg Abbott.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

On the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade -- January 22, 2015 -- Evan Keimig of Houston, left, and Brandan Solcher of Sugarland, Texas, wear Vatican flags in front of the U.S. Capitol following a "March for Life" protest.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

The following month, college students and abortion-rights activists rallied on the steps of the Texas Capitol as the legislature met on February 26, 2015.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

In July 2015, Erica Canaut, center, and other anti-abortion activists rallied on the steps of the Texas Capitol to condemn the use of tissue samples obtained from aborted fetuses for medical research.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Texas again became the focus of the abortion debate after a group produced a series of videos depicting Planned Parenthood officials appearing to talk about the price of fetal tissue. But an investigation into the allegations backfired on the accusers when prosecutors cleared Planned Parenthood -- and instead indicted two people involved in making the video. Above, one of the two defendants, Sandra Merritt, right, hugs a supporter after appearing in court to post bond on February 3, 2016.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

David Daleiden, the other defendant in the indictment over the videos, speaks to media and supporters after turning himself in the following day in Houston. Daleiden and Sandra Merritt are charged with tampering with a governmental record, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Both have pleaded not guilty.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

With the Supreme Court hearing on the Texas law approaching, Whole Woman's Health -- which is challenging the law -- held a gathering at a San Antonio clinic on February 9, 2016.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

In a dramatic ruling, the Supreme Court on June 27 threw out a Texas abortion access law in a victory to supporters of abortion rights who argued it would have shuttered all but a handful of clinics in the state.

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Photos:History of Texas' abortion fight

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been a proponent of new rules, slated to take effect December 9, that would require health care facilities to bury or cremate fetal remains. "I believe it is imperative to establish higher standards that reflect our respect for the sanctity of life," Abbott said in fundraising email.

Texas lawmakers returned for a second special session on Monday to reconsider anti-abortion legislation derailed initially by a one-woman filibuster and a raucous crowd at the state Capitol that drowned out a final effort to push it through.

In calling the Legislature back into session, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, described last week's events in the state Capitol as "unprecedented anarchy" and said "mob rule" would not be tolerated this time around.

State Sen. Wendy Davis, a Democrat who led last week's dramatic political charge and became a newly minted heroine of abortion rights in the process, energized a rally in Austin before the Legislature reconvened.

"Together we can do what they won't. We can stand. We can stand up together. We can stand up for what's right. We can stand up for Texas," Davis said to cheers. "Texans need someone who will stand up for their values."

The bill would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and would tighten regulations on abortion clinics and the doctors who work at them. Critics said the measure would have shut most of the abortion clinics in Texas.

In a series of radio interviews on Monday, Perry said the lieutenant governor and the speaker are not going to allow "turmoil" and "mob rule" in their chambers.

The shouting, which Perry described as "unprecedented anarchy" marked an unprecedented moment in the Capitol, but the governor insisted it won't derail the bill.

"Regardless of whether there is a vocal opposition ...Texans and their views will prevail," he said.

Bitter debate

The virtual debate over the legislation has been less than civic at times, with supporters coalescing around the Twitter hashtag #stand4life and opponents using #standwithwendy, in honor of Davis, as their rallying point.

"WE ALL know all abortions are NOT for mother's health, but simply bc they don't want a baby then. Farce to protect baby murder. #Stand4Life," said a post from Rhonda Nelson.

Perry claimed Davis ignored her own past as the daughter of a single mother in her bid to prevent abortion rights from being restricted in the Lone Star state.

"I'm all about honest, open debate," Perry said at a national "Right to Life" convention in Dallas last week. "Parliamentary tactics are certainly nothing new. But what we witnessed Tuesday was nothing more than the hijacking of the Democratic process. And this is simply too important a cause to allow the unruly actions of a few to stand in its way."

Perry argued Thursday that biography should instead have provided Davis guidance in her personal views on abortion.

"The fact is, who are we to say that children born into the worst of circumstances can't grow to live successful lives?" Perry said. "In fact, even the woman who filibustered in the Senate the other day was born into difficult circumstances. She was the daughter of a single woman. She was a teenage mother herself. She managed eventually to graduate from Harvard Law School and serve in the Texas Senate. It's just unfortunate that she hasn't learned from her own example, that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters."

On Monday, Davis pointed to her daughter, now 30, and said she doesn't "regret for one moment" the decisions she's made in life.

"We're fighting for a Texas where every woman is able to overcome her unique challenges because she had the same choices and same chances I had," Davis said, adding Republicans in the state were "bullying women who need help with their healthcare."

The state senator told NBC News she hasn't "ruled out" the idea of running for governor next year but is focused on preventing the abortion bill from passing in the special session.

In her slew of recent media interviews, Davis has argued that Perry is simply trying to boost his political aspirations by being a big voice in the abortion battle.

Asked about Davis on Monday, Perry, who hasn't announced whether he'll run in 2014, told KFYO the issue is about a debate over life and women's health, not "someone's political future."